Aims: To investigate acute vasodilator responses to phytoestrogens and selective estrogen receptor (ER) agonist in isolated small arteries from men with established coronary heart disease (CHD) and with a history of myocardial infarction versus healthy male control subjects. Methods: Small arteries obtained from subcutaneous fat biopsies and mounted on a wire myograph were preconstricted with norepinephrine, and dilator responses to increasing nanomolar-micromolar concentrations of the phytoestrogens resveratrol and genistein (predominantly ERagonists) and to propyl-pyrazole-triol (PPT, a selective ER, agonist) determined. These were compared with responses to reference compound-17 estradiol (17-E₂). Concentration-response curves were constructed before and after nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibition with Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Results: Relaxation induced by the investigated compounds was similar in men with CHD and healthy men, but in both groups PPT and genistein-induced relaxation was greater than that to resveratrol and 17-E₂. NO contributed to both phytoestrogens and PPT induced relaxation, but not to 17-E₂ responses in arteries from healthy men. This NO mediated component of relaxation was absent in arteries from men with established CHD. Conclusion: Phytoestrogens, at concentrations achievable by ingestion of phytoestrogen rich food products evoke dilatation ex-vivo of small peripheral arteries from normal men and those with established CHD. The contribution of NO to dilatory responses by these compounds is pertinent to arteries from healthy males, whereas other NO-independent dilatory mechanism(s) are involved in arteries from CHD.